Digital

Following the Itaewon Halloween Crowd Crush of 29 October 2022, this study examines how public sentiment evolved on Naver, South Korea’s most influential digital platform. While prior research has focused on mainstream media and global social networks, little is known about localized discourse on Naver. To address this gap, we analyzed 2107 user-generated posts collected via Python-based web scraping across three time periods: the immediate aftermath, first anniversary, and passage of the Itaewon Special Law. Semantic network analysis, sentiment classification, and logistic regression were applied to uncover patterns in discourse and emotional tone. Results reveal a shift from grief and outrage in 2022 to demands for political accountability, safety reform, and memorialization by 2024. High-frequency keywords reflected media and government narratives, while low-frequency terms exposed grassroots voices and emotional nuance. Regression analysis confirmed statistically significant associations between sentiment, title length, and year. These findings suggest that digital platforms not only mirror public sentiment but also shape the emotional and political framing of national tragedies. By tracing sentiment over time, this study contributes to understanding how echo chambers, narrative framing, and temporal context interact in shaping collective responses to crisis.

This study investigates how Moroccan users experience and interpret digital content that seems tailored to their personal profiles. While many participants recognize the relevance of such content, their willingness to engage depends less on accuracy and more on whether they feel respected and in control. Based on 629 survey responses and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), the findings indicate that perceived control is the most influential factor in building trust, which in turn strongly predicts engagement. Conversely, when content feels intrusive or when users have concerns about how their data is managed, trust declines—even if the targeting appears accurate. These results imply that people do not simply react to what they receive but also to the manner in which it is delivered and explained. In a rapidly digitizing environment like Morocco, where awareness of data rights remains limited, trust and transparency emerge as essential foundations for meaningful digital interaction. The study provides practical insights for marketers and platforms aiming to design targeting strategies that are not only effective but also ethically responsible and aligned with users’ expectations.

This article investigates how Web3 decentralization unfolds in practice and asks two guiding questions: (i) How democratic are decentralized governance systems in practice? (ii) Under what institutional conditions can technological decentralization translate into social inclusion? Based on multi-year ethnographic fieldwork (2022–2025) across Silicon Valley, Washington, D.C., Europe, and the Global South, this study draws on participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and comparative analysis of seven ecosystems—Ethereum, MakerDAO, Uniswap, Mastodon, Celo, Grassroots Economics, and GoodDollar. The findings show that participation asymmetries are structural: token-based governance is dominated by a small group of technically skilled or capital-rich actors, while voter turnout often remains below ten percent. Intermediaries such as foundations, developers, NGOs, and cooperatives are indispensable for coordination, contradicting the idea of hierarchy-free decentralization. In contrast, projects that institutionalize clear membership, monitoring, and accountability—particularly in cooperative and federated settings—display stronger democratic resilience. Comparative evidence also reveals oligarchic consolidation in Global North ecosystems and infrastructural exclusion in the Global South. These results substantiate what Richard R. Nelson termed “the Moon and the Ghetto” paradox: extraordinary technical innovation without corresponding social progress. Interpreted through innovation systems theory, the study concludes that advancing decentralized technologies requires parallel investment in mission-oriented institutions that ensure participation, equity, and accountability in digital infrastructures.